Centrifugal separator



q Inventor l "t l char/es w, Hqwqrd June 6, 1950 C, w- HOWARD 2,510,781

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR y By mm' wWMsem June 6, 1950 Filed Nov.l 5, 1947 C. W. HOWARD CENTRIF'UGAL SEPARATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O 20 39 O Inventor LP (g4 Char/es W. Howard 4 i BJ' HMZS Psi-nea June s, 195o UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I CENTRFUGAL SEPARATOR Charles W. Howard, Franlxlin',`0hioI Application ovember 3, 1947, Serial No. 783,737

(Cl. 21o- 51) clams. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in centrifugal separators, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herein described, such as may be conveniently and effectively employed for the separation or removal of sand, metal, stones and other foreign material from wood pulp used in the manufacture of paper.

A further object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal separator which includes in its construction a rotatable centrifugal drum of novel design. v l

Another object of the inventionis to provide a centrifugal separator which is simple in construction, which will function satisfactorily for a :considerable period of time without attention, and from which the foreign matter or residue may be easily and conveniently extracted.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal separator which will readily lend itself to economical manufacture and which is otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which it is intended.

With the above more important objects in view, and such other objects as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional elevational view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 2-2 in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in. Figure 1.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a centrifugal separator designated generally by the reference 'character I0, the same embodying in its construction a substantially cylindrical housing II comprising a, tubular mid portion I2, the housing II being disposed in a substantially upright position and the mid portion I2 including upper and lower flanges I3, I4 respectively. as will be clearly apparent from the accompanying drawings.

The housing II also includes a head or cover member I5 which, being provided with an annular flange I6, is separably attached to the 2 aforementioned flange I3 by means of a, plurality of bolts or studs I1, a suitable gasket I3 being interposed between the flanges I3,v I6, for obvious reasons.

The housing II also includes what may be referred to as a sediment pitV I9 equipped with an annular flange 20, this, in turn, being detachably secured by means of the bolts 2l to the aforementioned flange I4 of the housing portion I2. As is shown in Figure 1, a suitable gasket 22 is provided between the flanges I4, 20.

The lower end of the sediment pit I9 is formed integrally with an annular iiange 23 which, in turn, is provided with a plurality of downwardly and outwardly extending legs 24, secured to the flange 23 as at 25. By virtue of this arrangement, the entire separator is'supported in a substantially upright position, as shown.

A drain passage or tube 26 is provided in the lower end of the pit I9, the passage 26 being equipped with a drain valve 21,- the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully explained. The essence of novelty in the invention resides in the provision of a rotatable separating drum designated generally by the reference character 23, this embodying in its construction a shaft 29 disposed concentrically in the housing and rotatably journaled in a suitable bearing 33 with which the head I5 is formed. A

The shaft 29 is, of course, disposed in an upright position, and the upper end portion thereof carries a suitable drive pulley 3| which is connected by means of an endless belt 32 to an electric motor, or the like, by which the separator is driven.

Two sets or assemblies of propelling blades 33 are secured in spaced relation to the shaft 29, each of these sets or assemblies consisting ofla plurality of radially projecting, angularly offset ns 34 which are rigidly secured by welding, or the like, to a. collar 35 mounted upon the shaft 29.

What will be hereinafter referred to as the inner tube 36 is rigidly secured to the fins or blades 34, the tube 36 being open-ended and delining what may be called an inner chamber 31. It should be noted that the lower end portion of the tube 36 terminates in a substantially` ffrusto-conical member 33 which, in turn, communicates with'the sediment pit I9.

substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the tubes 36 and 40 coact to form what may be referred to as an annular outer chamber Il which is concentrically disposed with respect to the inner chamber 31. Moreover, it will be observed that the various components which comprise the drum 28 are secured together in such manner that the shaft 29, the propelling blades 33, the inner tube 36, the agitating blades 39 and the outer shell 40 are rotatable as a unit.

If desired, bearing surfaces 42, 83 may be provided in the housing il so as to facilitate free rotation of the drum assembly 28 in the hous- An inlet it is provided in the head i5, the inlet d being screw threadedso as to receive a suitable delivery tube or pipe d5, and attention is particularly directed to the fact that this inletcommunicates directly with the outer chamber Similarly, the inner chamber 3lcommunicates with an outlet i6 which is also formed in the head i5 and communicates with an outlet tube or pipe di. However, it should be observed that both the chamber 3l as well as the chamber di communicate with the sediment pit i9 at the lower end of the housing ii, as is best shown in Figure l..

`When the invention is placed in use, the supply ci.' wood pulp, or the like, is delivered 'through the inlet tube i5 into the outer chamber di while the drum assembly 2b is rotated by means of the pulley and belt drive 3 i, 32.

The thickness iii of the chamber i is rather small, so that the pulp which is delivered into the chamber will assume the form of a thin annular layer, Vfrom which, when the drum assembly l rotates at high speed, particles of foreign matter will be extracted by centrifugal force and deposited on the inner surface of the outer 'tube dit.

in any event, both the wood pulp and the foreign matter will eventually gravitate downwardly into the sediment pit itl, and while the foreign matter, being somewhat heavier, will remain in the pit, the wood pulp will be urged upwardly into the inner chamber iii by the rotating blades n this inner chamber, the centrifugal extracting action will again take place, the foreign matter being thrown against the inner surface of the inner tube 3S, and subsequently dropping into the pit i9, while the cleaned wood pulp will be delivered into the upper end of the chamber 3l and outwardly through the outlet tube dll.

Needless to say, the particles of foreign matter which are deposited in the sediment pit i9 may be periodically removed or extracted by simply opening the valve 2l.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combina- 4tion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. y

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: i

1. In a centrifugal separator, the' combination of a vertically elongated housing, a rotatably mounted tubular member disposed in a substantially vertical position in said housing and defining an inner chamber having open upper and lower ends, a plurality of radial propelling blades provided in said inner chamber, a plurality of radial agitating blades provided on the outer surface of said member, an open ended outer tube secured to said agitating blades and coacting with the tubular member to provide an annular outer chamber, a material inlet and outlet provided on said housing and communicating with upper ends of the respective outer and inner chambers, a sediment pit provided in said housing and communicating with the lower ends of said chambers, and means for rotating said member.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means include a drive shaft extending axially in said inner chamber, said propelling blades securing said member to said shaft.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said propelling blades are arranged in two spaced sets, each set being disposed in one end of said inner chamber.

4. The device as dened in claim l wherein said agitating blades extend longitudinally from oneend of said outer chamber to the other.

5. In a centrifugal separator, the combination of a vertically elongated housing, an upright drive shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, two vertically spaced sets of radial propelling blades secured to said shaft, a tubular member surrounding said shaft and having its upper and lower end portions secured to said sets of propelling blades, said member defining an inner chamber having open upper and lower ends, a plurality of radial agitating blades extending longitudinally on the outer surface of said member, an open ended outer tube surrounding said member and secured to said agitating blades, said outer tube coacting with said member to provide an annular outer chamber, the upper end portion of said housing being provided with a ma# terial inlet and outlet communicating with the upper ends of the respective outer and inner chambers, a sediment pit provided in the lower end portion of said housing and communicating with the lower ends of said chambers, and means for rotating said shaft.

CHARLES W. HOWARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the France May 5, 1922 

